After experiencing a bit of a style rut of late (because let's be honest, below freezing temps combined with a limited portion of your wardrobe fitting you can pretty easily result in feeling uninspired by your clothing options!) I started thinking more about the concept of shopping your wardrobe. While it may seem pretty self explanatory it can also be one of those tasks that's easier said than done. So next time you're feeling the need to add to your wardrobe with some "retail therapy" instead try these 5 simple steps to successfully shop your wardrobe:

1. Set Up Shop

Start by grouping together each garment type and only having out items that fit you and are season appropriate. Imagine it like you're walking into a store where everything is your size and available for you to wear straight away. You don't want to be distracted or disheartened by items you can't currently wear! Dividing your wardrobe into categories like pants, tops, jackets etc. will then make it easier to recognise what you wear the least, what you wear the most and will also be helpful when it comes to putting outfit combinations together.

2. Highlight Neglected Items

Within each category pull out any items that may have been neglected of late and ask yourself why. The fun part is figuring out how these pieces can be brought back into the rotation of your wardrobe! Does it need to be made more weather appropriate? Maybe some layering with other items will make a piece workable. Is a particular item not making you feel great anymore? You may be able to pair it with an item you love or style it with accessories to make it work for you again. Or are you simply feeling bored with an item and need to hit the refresh button? Then get creative! Have some fun and play around with different ways you can incorporate neglected items back into existing favourite outfit combinations or even create totally new ones with them!

3. Incorporate Loved Items

Rely on your most frequently worn pieces to pull your looks together and help restore your love in those neglected items. You may also want to consider how these pieces can work harder for you...chances are they might be in need of a little revival themselves as their high rotation in your wardrobe could have you feeling little bored. That's where creating new combinations in the previous step comes in, a neglected item may breathe fresh life into a loved piece, and how you can maximise a garments feel good factor by making the most of accessories in the next step...

4. Focus on Accessories

Just like with your clothing it's likely you have your favourites when it comes to your accessory collection too. What's key to keep in mind is that there's nothing like changing up a necklace, wearing those boots that have been at the back of your wardrobe or even adding a bright lipstick to make your outfit feel new and fresh. It's easy to overlook the small details and go for the same tried and trusted accessories but in reality it's these pieces that can make the biggest impact. So focus on how you can make the most of your accessories, all of them, by pulling out those pieces you haven't used in a while and really considering how they can add to an outfit.

5. Reflect On Photos

As well as taking snaps of any new outfit combinations you come up with it can often be useful to look back on photos from 12 months ago and provide yourself with some inspiration through the outfits you wore last year. It's surprising how often all it takes is to be reminded of a look that you loved last season and are yet to wear this year. And you never know, it may even spark an idea of how a piece could be worn differently with this years style in mind.

Most importantly, the next time you're in a style rut and feeling uninspired or like you have nothing to wear, try to remember this...you're the only one that sees your wardrobe everyday! Yes it's easy to get sick of your clothes and even easier to get caught up in the notion of needing new ones, so instead flip these thoughts and reverse them, be proud of your wardrobe and get creative with your style!

How important is fabrication when it comes to building your wardrobe? Very! Not only does wearability and durability factor into your fabric choices but they also play an important role when it comes to the sustainability of your wardrobe. For obvious reasons it's best to stick to natural fibers where possible, synthetic or man made fibers such as polyester, nylon and acrylic are petroleum derived fibers, cause micro plastic pollution when washed and are not biodegradable.

So let's get to know the fabrics you should favour with the most common natural fibers you'll find in your wardrobe and how you can make the most of them:

Cotton

Qualities: Absorbant, Breathable, Soft and Comfortable

What You Need To Know: Conventional cotton is known for it's use of pesticides to speed up the growth process, and because of this requires larger amounts of water. Organic cotton is always the better choice for people and the environment as it causes no harm at any stage of it's lifecycle.

Linen

Qualities: Absorbant, Breathable, Durable, Lightweight

What You Need To Know: Although, as we all know, linen wrinkles easily it is also the most breathable and lightweight fabric for warmer weather. Pesticide use in growing flax plants is less common than with cotton and it requires less water, plus it decomposes quickly.

Wool

Qualities: Moisture Wicking, Hypoallergenic, Durable

What You Need To Know: Wool production is generally an organic process without the use of chemicals and because it's a renewable resource it's completely sustainable. However, the practice of mulesing, removing wool-bearing skin around the breech of a sheep to prevent flystrike, is still used by some farmers presenting animal rights concerns.

Silk

Qualities: Absorbant, Excellent Drape, Durable

What You Need To Know: Conventional silk is a sustainable fabric derived from boiling the inner cocoon of a silkworm, however most commercial silk is produced by boiling the entire cocoon before the silkworm emerges which causes the single silk strand to break. With little to no chemical use in production and silk being a natural fiber it is readily biodegradable.

Rayon

Qualities: Highly Absorbant, Soft and Comfortable

What You Need To Know: Rayon is produced using the cellulose from wood pulp, but although it is derived from trees it is actually a semi-synthetic fiber. This is because of the sodium hydroxide required in the processing of this fiber to break down the wood into a pulp and then a fiber. This is also the case for other forms of Rayon which include Viscose, Modal and Lyocell fabrics, plus Bamboo which also has a plant base.

Have you ever considered the fact that your wardrobe has a psychological aspect?! Well I think it's time we delve into and recognize how fashion affects us psychologically, because it does. Of course fashion has always played a role in society and how we form perceptions, it serves as a visual indication of our status, culture, beliefs, gender and so much more. But how did what we wear become something we buy into so emphatically that it's now normal to shop and consume constantly? In fact, the act of shopping has become so normalized that it is widely considered a hobby and an acceptable social event.

Is it the rise of social media, constantly feeding into our desire to fit in and not miss out on a certain trend or style. We simply must have a garment just because everyone else has it. Or could it be the abundance of shopping malls that offer everything one might need to spend a whole day all under one roof. Maybe it's the retail landscape in general, with companies continually driving their revenue through sales that offer too good to be true bargains. Whatever the specifics of how we started down this path we need to acknowledge our reality. We've reached a point where making a new purchase and wearing something new actually impacts our emotions and makes us feel what we think is happiness.

So there it is, happiness. The whole truth of how fashion and psychology are related comes down to the belief that it fuels our happiness. This isn't a completely bad thing, of course something you purchase should evoke happiness inside you, why would you buy it otherwise, but when is enough enough? What amount of clothing will make us happy, or is it simply the act of purchasing that makes us happy? Why can't we be happy with what we already have in our wardrobes?

I want to share two personal examples to help illustrate how psychology plays into fashion:

Case Study 1

A few months ago I discovered a beautiful pink top at a second hand store which made me so happy because it's the perfect colour, style and price at only $20...so of course I immediately bought it. What I've since wondered is, would I have been as excited if I'd found this top in a fast fashion store? And conversely, did the fact that it's one of a kind impact my desire to buy it and therefore not miss out? Thinking back on the last three months since I've owned the top I've probably worn it a grand total of five times...so how happy does it really make me? Granted, not all clothing is going to fit into the high rotation portion of your wardrobe and as long as you're confident it will be something you'll wear for years you're sure to reach the 30 wears benchmark making it a purchase that is deemed ok. So yeah, it was a guilt free purchase but it also fed my psychological need for something new at the time even though it fit the criteria of a top I'd been looking for.

Case Study 2

A brand I recently made my first purchase with was having a sale last week and I considered buying a second colour in a striped dress that I already own, and absolutely love. I have had so much wear out of this dress since it arrived in my wardrobe that having a second colour made complete sense...and it was on sale, half price in fact! But I didn't trigger the purchase. Instead I acknowledged the psychological push behind the purchase and understood it wasn't going to change my life, yes I'd feel joy on that day and on the day it got delivered but if I wanted another striped dress I could find one at any point in my life and right now I don't really need it. I already have clothes to wear! Plus do I really need the same dress in two colors, maybe, because I wear it so often, but wouldn't that mean I'd just wear the one I already have less?!

The point of these stories is not to say that purchasing the same garment in multiple colors is bad or that you should only make purchases that will be in high rotation in your wardrobe. It's simply to highlight how psychology played into two different shopping scenarios and how we can all become more aware of the pull of happiness in order to positively impact our purchase decisions.

So next time you're considering a new purchase, be cognizant of the role psychology is playing. Address your motivation behind the purchase and acknowledge whether the purchase will evoke happiness for a long time...you should feel the same emotion time and again from a garment.

Transparency is a behavior that implies openness, communication and accountability...thanks Google! So what does it mean to you and do you think it's important? When it comes to personal relationships I'd hazard a guess that most of us find it of utmost importance. But, with transparency being a buzz word in fashion at the moment, I'm curious why it's not something we expect from this industry and rather a lack of these usually important traits is something we easily forgive.

Let's be honest here, if every fashion brand was completely transparent and provided us with a full run down of their business operations we wouldn't all take it upon ourselves to read it...would we? Transparency is important, without it how are we ever supposed to make informed decisions about our wardrobes and make a difference. But how much transparency is realistic for companies to provide and what do we choose to do with the information, if anything at all. Before transparency can become common practice for fashion companies we need to value it as consumers and make it an expectation. Which means investing not only money into our purchases but also time and effort into learning about the companies we choose to buy from. What matters most is how we use the information provided, along with our willingness to ask questions, like who made my clothes, and hold companies accountable for any lack of openness and communication.

Transparency is also commonly viewed as greenwashing, the belief that companies appear ethical and/or sustainable by providing a certain level of transparency while as consumers we're still only getting a portion of the relevant information. Ok, fair enough, and while I don't condone this behavior in any way surely we have to acknowledge that knowing some information is always more helpful than knowing nothing at all. I commend any company that is trying to be more transparent, even if it's ethical and sustainable practices relate only to a portion of their range. We all have to start somewhere on this journey, and this goes for companies as well. Years of ingrained common practice can't feasibly be changed all at once, for anyone!

Plus, like all things in life, it's important to remember there are two sides to every story. Transparency in fashion is companies being open and honest about their practices, and transparency in your wardrobe is about being honest with yourself! Buying less and making considered purchases that you'll love, look after and wear for years, preferably from a company that gives you a level of understanding about their business practices that you're comfortable with and align with your ethics, is your side of the bargain.

The question is if we as consumers are willing to put in the extra time and effort to understand and learn about the brands we shop with and possibly find new brands that do align with what we believe...otherwise transparency in fashion doesn't really mean much. So are you willing to invest in transparency?

Deciding on your set of values as a consumer is key to starting and continuing your conscious fashion journey...because we all need to remember that, just like everything about us, our journey to a more conscious wardrobe and lifestyle is unique! What are your consumer values? Have you thought about them before? If not can you easily list down what they might be? Give it a go!

Figuring out what works with your life and making that first step to implement small changes into your shopping habits is where it all starts. The world of ethical and sustainable fashion is overwhelming, but what I've realized is that it's not about being perfect and we can't all do everything! After some of these overwhelming thoughts whirling around in my mind that have had me questioning what is right and wrong on my journey, I wanted to share the key areas of focus that might help guide your journey.

It's up to you to decide what works for you, your lifestyle and your values, and then make a start:

Fast Fashion

Let's face it, we all inherently know the fast fashion model is bad...it works only based on the notion that clothing is disposable. It isn't! But this doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up fast fashion all together. Of course taking a stand against fast fashion and deciding to never shop at certain brands is a position many hold. Others may decide to continue to shop at fast fashion brands but only when they come across an item they love and know they will get more than thirty wears out of.

Recycling and Upcycling

Making use of clothing that has already been produced is an important part of closing the loop when it comes to the consumption of fashion. Some choose to focus on only consuming second hand garments and become expert thrifters. This also extends to upcycling where, if you're creative, you may explore the avenue of making new items of clothing using recycled items of clothing. On the flip side, some people think the consumption of second hand clothing isn't completely guilt free, and view the consumption of more stuff as essentially contributing to the production of more stuff by creating demand.

Environmental and Empowerment Causes

Giving back is a powerful option in the fashion world which has been gaining momentum of late with a number of brands now based on the give back model. Buy this item and we give one to someone in need or buy this item and we'll plant a tree...it can work in many ways but essentially you're buying into a greater cause when you spend your dollars. Making purchases that have a direct link to promoting human rights and protecting our planet is one way to create positive change with your purchases.

Fair Trade and Locally Made

Supporting small makers and local businesses can ensure the wellbeing of producers at all levels of the supply chain are at a standard you would expect. Spending more and buying less can mean you support a brand that otherwise wouldn't exist without your purchase, unlike when your dollars go to large corporations. Buying fair trade and locally made product also has a positive impact on environmental factors and empowers suppliers and small business owners.

Vegan

Choosing to be vegan is a lifestyle choice which puts animals and the planet at the core of your values. While giving up the consumption of anything made using animal products isn't something we're all going to do, just like every other value mentioned above, it is another way of making a difference, to your life and the life of those around you.

"...just doing a little something is a lot better than doing a lot of nothing." - Stella McCartney

My journey so far has been focussed mostly on reducing my clothing consumption as a whole and making much more considered purchases that work with my wardrobe and are the best quality I can afford. This has meant these purchases are not always from ethical and sustainable brands because of either price or styling. I believe in buying something I truly love and fits my style personality instead of buying something just because it's from an ethical and/or sustainable brand. That being said I'm putting a lot more time into researching brands and trying to find the right items for me that are made sustainably and ethically, and I'm looking to second hand and thrift stores a lot more. Of course there are always improvements that can be made but that's why this is a journey...learn and discover as you go and make it work for you! Start your journey by adopting a philosophy of meaningful consumption and putting more thought into the purchases you make.